Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Salary in Arizona

In May 2014, the US Department of Labor (DOL) reported that physical therapist assistants in Arizona earned an average annual salary of $41,180 (average hourly wage of $19.80). Yet, as demand for physical therapy outstrips the supply of licensed PTAs, new graduates and experienced professionals alike are expected to gain better access to higher paying jobs.

According to the US DOL, the number of licensed and gainfully employed physical therapist assistants in Arizona is expected to rise from 910 in 2012 to 1,280 by 2022. Not only does this indicate a 40% employment growth trend, it also establishes physical therapist assistants among Arizona’s top 50 fastest growing occupations during this projection phase.

Jobseekers in the state may locate especially good opportunities in the Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale region, as it is among the top ten metropolitan areas with the highest employment level for PTAs in the country. That year, physical therapist assistants working here earned an average annual salary of $39,860 and an average hourly wage of $19.16.

High-end salaries do not appear overnight for physical therapist assistants. In most cases, physical therapist assistants gradually receive greater salary payouts as they accrue experience over the course of their careers.

For example, in 2014 the United States Department of Labor found that entry-level physical therapist assistants in Arizona collected an average annual salary of just $21,700 and an average hourly wage of $10.45, while co-workers with several years of experience earned an average annual salary of $39,400 and an average hourly wage of $18.95.

In that year, only the most accomplished, and therefore most sought after, physical therapist assistants with ten or more years in the field achieved a high-end average annual salary of $66,200 and an average hourly wage of $31.81.

Physical Therapist Assistant Salary Ranges in Arizona by Location

Physical therapist assistants often find the most job availability in highly populated counties of Arizona. However, pay ranges typically shift from one county to the next. In 2014, the United States Department of Labor released the following average hourly wage ranges for PTAs in Arizona by county:

Coconino County: $12.55 to $28.40 hourly

Maricopa County: $10.31 to $31.25 hourly

Mohave County: $13.18 to $30.73 hourly

Pima County: $10.62 to $31.35 hourly

Yavapai County: $20.03 to $43.74 hourly

Just like physical therapist assistant pay ranges differ between counties in Arizona, salaries similarly vary across metro and non-metro regions of the state. For example, the United States Department of Labor found that in 2014, physical therapist assistants working in the Lake Havasu City-Kingman region were paid an average annual salary of $48,310 and an average hourly wage of $23.23. By contrast, those employed in the city of Tucson took home an average annual salary of $43,290 and an average hourly wage of $20.81: